����vlog���� alumna Ariel (Nichols) Merrell ’14 has gone from being a first-generation college graduate to one of the most powerful women in Arkansas.

Originally from Clarksville, Merrell was one of 94 women from across the state named to the 2025 Power Women list by Arkansas Money & Politics (AMP) in its December edition.

According to the publication, “Where there are women, their power is truly a force to be reckoned with. We at Arkansas Money & Politics are proud to highlight some of the most incredible women leaving their stamp on the state of Arkansas.”

Merrell currently serves as corporate controller for CFS Technologies in North Little Rock, Ark., where she oversees accounting and financial operations for two manufacturing plants in Arkansas. She also serves as vice president of finance and operations for C&F Flooring and Rug Gallery in Little Rock and Springdale, Ark., overseeing all financial aspects of the company while ensuring operational efficiency across sales, warehouse, and administrative functions.

In these roles, Merrell oversees accounting teams, payroll, tax compliance, audits, contract negotiations, the design and implementation of standard operating procedures, KPI development, and financial planning.

The first in her family to graduate from college, Merrell earned a degree in accounting and business administration from ����vlog����.

“I know my grandpa is incredibly proud of me, even though my education and career choices have taken me away from my hometown of Clarksville,” she said. “My dad was my biggest advocate in my education so that I could live a life outside of what we had. Having this education has opened doors that just aren’t possible in our small town. I’ve seen some really cool places, provided a good life for my family, and I am always thankful for my start at ����vlog����.”

Merrell said her four years at Ozarks were special because of the relationships she formed with faculty in the business department.

“I had professors I admired who gave me not only the education needed to complete the coursework, but also mentored me on a personal level,” she said. “They helped me reach my goals outside of school and taught me how to manage my time with family, work, and education.”

Her advisor also helped her secure a valuable internship that helped launch her career.

“The accounting program was incredibly beneficial as I worked my way from bookkeeper up to vice president of finance and operations, handling financial statement preparation, tax returns, mergers and acquisitions on a large scale, budgeting and forecasting, and various ‘clean-up’ projects for companies,” Merrell said. “The business administration program helped me manage relationships with vendors and stakeholders, maintain the operational health of a company through processes and people, and lead teams with different goals and personalities. I’ve been able to blend well within many industries and connect with everyone from production-floor employees to C-suite leaders and private equity groups.”

Merrell said she might not have been able to attend college without the scholarships she received from Ozarks.

“I worked through high school and college to save money and received smaller scholarships locally and through the state, but Ozarks scholarships played a significant role in allowing me to gain a college education,” she said. “Because I was an independent student who did not rely on family financial support, my advisors helped me maximize those awards by strategically planning for me to double major in accounting and business administration.”

She still looks back fondly on her time at Ozarks.

“The connections with other students and professors are what I remember most,” Merrell said. “I made lifelong friends and learned so much from instructors who have continued to be a part of my life. I really hope they know how much I appreciate them and their role in helping me ‘make it.’ I worked a lot during college, so I didn’t participate in as many campus activities as others, but Ozarks worked hard to keep our community connected through some really great events.”

Merrell resides in Maumelle, Ark., with her husband, Jason, and their children: Maddox, Benson, Elijah, and Lucy.

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After serving as an adjunct instructor for the past seven years, Pam Cogan has joined the ����vlog���� full-time as an assistant professor or accounting.

Cogan has more than 15 years of experience as an accountant and has taught as an adjunct accounting instructor at Ozarks since 2017. Among the classes she has taught include, Principles of Accounting, Principles of Financial Analysis, Cost Accounting and Federal Taxation.

“I have enjoyed learning and working in my chosen field of accounting for the last 15 years, and it will now be an honor to teach full-time those students who also desire to pursue a career in the field of accounting,” Cogan said. “I have found the use of real -world examples from my own accounting practice help students to remember concepts, terms, standards and principles that are often more difficult to grasp. My goal at the end of the semester is to have prepared my students for the next class and their first work experience.”

Cogan, who has a master’s degree in accounting from University of Phoenix, has owned and operated Pamela Cogan Bookkeeping & Tax Service in Clarksville since 2010. She is also a medicolegal death investigator and has served as the coroner for Johnson County since 2013.

She and her husband, Dave, have been married for 38 years and are both life-long residents of Clarksville. They have three adult children, Taylor (Lauren), Keaton (Kelci) and Laekyn (Hayden), as well as three grandchildren.

Cogan’s hobbies outside of work include, spending time with her grandchildren and family, hosting parties for friends, trips to Disney, and playing with their two cats, Bastet (Bassie) and Savannah (Savvy). 

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Nearly eight years after graduating from ����vlog���� and now working at one of the top global accounting and auditing firms in the world, Adriana Beltran can look back at her Ozarks education with a thankful perspective.

Originally from El Salvador, Beltran earned a degree from Ozarks in management and accounting with Summa Cum Laude honors in 2014. She now serves as a supervising senior at KPMG in Panama City, Panama. KPMG is considered one of the Big Four, a nickname given to the top four accounting networks in the world.

“It’s kind of hard to believe how far I’ve come since sitting in an accounting classroom at Ozarks,” Beltran said in a recent visit to the Ozarks campus. “I think about how much I learned and grew on this campus and the great professors I had and I have no doubt that those experiences helped me in my career and life. It makes me very grateful for my time at Ozarks.”

In her position at KPMG, Beltran serves as a supervising senior for advisory services where she primarily deals with mergers and acquisitions. Her specialty area is business valuations.

“I get to analyze all sorts of information and variables and pull them all together and come up with the value of a company or business,” Beltran said. “You need to consider politics, the environment, the S&P 500, and even the potential risks down the road. You’re basically forecasting the future of this company. It’s very interesting and fulfilling work and I really enjoy it.”

Beltran was working as a senior analyst at another of the Big Four — Ernst & Young in El Salvador —when she was recruited to come to Panama by KPMG in 2020. In her new position, she works with clients from throughout Central America and from around the world.

“It was a little bit of leap of faith for me to leave El Salvador, but I’m so glad I did it,” Beltran said. “It’s opened up so many new opportunities and experiences for me.”

Beltran said she plans to pursue a master’s degree in Spain in the near future and plans to continue in the accounting and auditing industry. As a former Walton Scholar at Ozarks, she also plans to stay active in helping to recruit future Walton Scholars to Ozarks.

“The Walton Scholarship really changed my life and I thank God I had the opportunity to receive it,” she said. “I’ve helped in in the interview process and I want to continue to help anyway I can to give back to what the program gave me.”

Beltran said her experiences at Ozarks, both inside and outside the classroom, prepared her well in her career.

“I think about not only the classes I had that helped me, but the experiences such as being a speaker for Enactus that helped me be a better communicator and taught me how to dress professionally,” Beltran said. “Things like writing papers and knowing proper English grammar have helped me so much in my career. My bosses even have me proof their letters for them. Every day I’m using the knowledge and skills I received from Ozarks.”

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����vlog���� 2020 graduate Fabrice Cotin remembers sitting in his intermediate accounting I class as a sophomore at Ozarks when he first heard about The Big Four.

The Big Four is the nickname used to refer to the four largest accounting firms in the United States. Those firms — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler — audit the financial statements for the vast majority of companies in the S&P 500.

At that moment in class, the native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, made it his goal to get a job at one of The Big Four.

“Something just clicked at that moment and I knew I wanted to work for one of those companies,” Cotin said. “Those are the best of the best accounting and financial services companies in the world and I decided then that it would be my mission to get a job at one of them.”

Mission accomplished.

While completing a master’s degree in financial mathematics at the University of Tampa this past year, Cotin secured a full-time position with Deloitte. He will begin work as an audit and assurance analytic specialist in the company’s Houston, Texas, office in August.

“It was an incredible feeling to get that phone call and be offered a position with Deloitte,” Cotin said. “I had applied for internships and jobs with The Big Four probably a dozen times over the past few years and was always missing something that kept me from getting hired. Each time I got rejected, it just made me that much more determined.”

The high-achieving Cotin earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration at Ozarks in just three years, graduating with Magna Cum Laude (3.50-3.84 GPA) honors. He achieved his master’s degree from Tampa in one year while serving as a graduate assistant.

Cotin considers it a small miracle that he was even able to attend college. Though he was a good student in high school in Haiti, Cotin put on hold any plans of attending college after his father suffered a stroke.

“I had decided I wasn’t going to attend college, but then [former Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment] Reggie Hill talked to me about coming to Ozarks and my parents supported that decision,” Cotin said. “I felt I owed it to my parents to make the most of the opportunity. ”

He credits his professors at Ozarks, specifically Joel Rossmaier, associate professor of accounting, for helping him succeed at Ozarks and beyond.

“I had planned to be a math major until I took an accounting class with Professor Rossmaier, and that experience changed the direction I was headed,” Cotin said. “He showed me the possibilities I could have in accounting. He not only pushed and encouraged me in class, but more importantly he was always there for advice and counseling outside of class.”

“All of my professors at Ozarks were demanding but at the same time helpful and encouraging. They helped me develop the work ethic and discipline that served me well in graduate school and that will serve me well for the rest of my life. There’s no doubt that I wouldn’t be where I am today without Ozarks.”

Cotin was one of the first Haitian students to attend Ozarks and during his time at the University he served as a student-worker in the Office of Admission, helping other Haitian students get enrolled at the college. His duties ranged from assisting incoming students with their visas and passports, to driving students and parents to and from the airport, to helping dozens of Haitian students get acclimated to their new home away from home.

Even though he no longer works for Ozarks, he continues to work diligently helping young Haitians find the University. Ozarks expects to enroll more than 100 students from the Caribbean country this fall.

“I had this incredible opportunity to attend Ozarks and I want to do all I can to give other young Haitian students the same opportunity,” he said. “If my story helps inspire other young people to follow in my footsteps or I can help someone with some paperwork or documents to help the process, I will do whatever it takes to connect them with Ozarks. This University changed my life and I want others to have that same experience.”

With the recent assassination of the Haitian president leading to current political unrest and uncertainty in his home country, Cotin is even more determined to help his country’s future.

“The key to the future of Haiti is education,” Cotin said. “We’ve got to educate as many of the young people as we can so that we can put Haiti on the right course for its future. I plan to return to Haiti one day and do my part to help my country.”

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Emilie “Weave” Williams, a senior religion and philosophy major from Keller, Texas, was presented the Hurie Award as the outstanding member of the Class of 2019 by University President Richard Dunsworth. Named for former Ozarks President Wiley Lin Hurie, the award is selected by the faculty and given to the outstanding member of the senior class.

Williams has been named to the Dean’s or President’s List in each of her eight semesters and will graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors on May 18. She was a two-time selection as the outstanding student in philosophy and was a finalist in the Project Poet competition for two years. She served a semester abroad studying philosophy and Greek language at The American College of Greece and was an intern/student coach for Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago in 2018. Williams will enroll in Harvard Divinity School in the fall and pursue a master of theological studies degree. and she has one brother, Nicholas.

Other Honors Day recipients for 2019 included, Mary Hoiland (Outstanding Student in Accounting), Falon Hanson (Outstanding Student in Business Administration), Roland Rodrigo (Outstanding Student in Economics), Brenda Sandoval (Outstanding Student in Management), Maria Corea (Outstanding Student in Marketing), Kaitlyn Ventress (Outstanding Service Award in Business), Brooklyn Keeling (Outstanding Student in Secondary Education), Carlton Shelby (Outstanding Student in Elementary Education), Aubree Sisson (Outstanding Student in Art Education), Makara Frazier (Outstanding Student in Physical Education), Stephanie Payton (Outstanding Student in Art), Aubree Sisson (Outstanding Student in Art), Angie Castro (Outstanding Student in Communication Studies) and Jacob Holland (Robert Berry Fulton Award in Communication).

Also receiving awards were, Jake Sawyer (Outstanding Student in English), Haley Hanks (Outstanding Student in History), Cheyanna Miller (Outstanding Student in Music), Melle Van Duijn (Outstanding Student in Philosophy), Emily Autry (Outstanding Student in Religion), Melle Van Duijn (Outstanding Student in Spanish), Tiffany Quinton (Outstanding Student in Theatre), Julio Molina-Pineda (Outstanding Senior in Chemistry), Cristin Connor (Outstanding Student in Biology), Lamara Bazashvili (Outstanding Student in Health Science), Alec Mertin (Outstanding Student in Mathematics), Emily Autry (Outstanding Student in Political Science), Corey Wilhelm (Outstanding Student in Physics), Shanice Guzman (C. Wright Mills Award in Sociology), Bahar Yapal (Outstanding Student in Psychology) and Emily Dice (Outstanding Environmental Student Award).

In addition, awards were presented from the recent A.R.C.H. Symposium. First place in oral presentation went to Alma Arredondo, Regan Puryear and Cristin Connor.  First place in poster presentation went to Gracie Miller and first place in visual arts went to Aubree Sisson.

Also at the ceremony, Maria Corea was announced as the winner of the annual Earth Day Essay Contest.

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The ����vlog����’ Student Success Center and Student Support Services honored both graduating seniors and outstanding tutors during its 2019 Tutor Awards and Graduation Celebration on April 30, 2019.

Tutor awards were given based on several factors, including evaluations from students receiving tutoring, GPAs, and staff members’ interactions and observations.  During the fall semester alone, over 1,500 tutoring hours were provided.

Over the course of the academic year, 86 tutors were hired and trained.  During the celebration, Trio Student Support Services also honored 32 students slated to graduate.  These academic support programs are staffed by, Connie High, director; Kimberly Spicer, program specialist; Lauren Gentry, advisor and skills coach; Charmaine Hutchinson, administrative coordinator; Vanessa Hollowell, academic coordinator; and Ashley Bryant, office manager.

Brenda Sandoval, a senior international business and history major from Guatemala City, Guatemala, was selected as overall tutor of the year.

The tutors who were recognized included (pictured, front row, from left) Sandoval; Maria Corea, writing tutor of the year; Feri Hernandez, science tutor of the year in chemistry; Shelby Morales, psychology tutor of the year; (back row, from left) Ohany Roman, business tutor of the year in accounting; Anicka Wilcox, humanities tutor of the year; Petron Brown, science tutor of the year in natural science; Georgia Warren, business tutor of the year in accounting; and Isaac Julio, math tutor of the year.

Those not pictured included, Brooklyn Keeling, political science tutor of the year; Yeimy Rodriguez, political science tutor of the year; Elodie Jabouin, psychology tutor of the year; and Laura Gochez, Spanish tutor of the year.

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����vlog���� officials have announced that Dr. David Daily (right) and Joel Rossmaier have been named academic deans in their respective divisions, effective July 1.

Daily, professor of religion, will serve as the dean of the Humanities & Fine Arts Division, while Rossmaier, associate professor of practice of business and accounting, will be the dean of the University’s Division of Social Sciences.

The appointments coincide with the July 1 reorganization of the academic divisions.

Daily has taught at Ozarks since 2000 and received the University’s Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in both 2004 and 2009.  He will replace Dr. Steve Oatis, professor of history, who has served as dean since 2015.

“It will be an honor to serve as dean of the Division of Humanities & Fine Arts,” Daily said. “Through his years in that role, Steve Oatis has put the division on a strong footing, and I look forward to building on his work.”

Rossmaier, joined Ozarks in 2002 as an adjunct instructor and became a full-time professor in 2003. He served as interim dean of the Division of Business at Ozarks for the 2018-19 academic year.

“I am honored to be named as the dean of the Division of Social Sciences,” Rossmaier said. “The University is going through some exciting changes right now, and I look forward to being able to contribute to the growth of the programs within the division.”

University Provost Dr. Alyson Gill commended the two new deans, who have a combined 36 years of Ozarks teaching experience.

“Dr. Daily is a deeply respected member of the Ozarks community, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to take on this new role,” said Gill. “Since I have known him, I have found his to be a voice of gentle reason, and he brings with him not only a love for the Ozarks community, but a commitment to leading in a time of unprecedented growth with pedagogical richness. As the new dean of Humanities & Fine Arts, I believe that he will play a critical role in providing strong, consistent and communicative leadership for the division.”

“Last year, I asked Professor Rossmaier to serve as interim Dean of Business. I have seen him step more fully into that role, and have grown to rely on his sound advice and ability to view things from multiple perspectives. He is a skilled navigator of complex spreadsheets, and comes into this role as a respected and thoughtful leader.”

Oatis will return to full-time teaching and will continue to chair the provost advisory group and serve as the division representative on the HLC strategic assessment team.

“As a new provost, I appreciate Dr. Oatis’ tireless efforts in leading the division over the years,” Gill said. “This cannot be overstated, and I am deeply grateful for his service to the University—a place that he loves and is deeply invested in.”

In a related note, beginning July 1 the four current academic divisions will be aligned to reflect the LENS curriculum and will be known as Humanities & Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences & Mathematics divisions. With this re-organization, the communication and sociology disciplines will move to Social Sciences.

The reorganized divisions:

Humanities & Fine Arts (Dr. David Daily, Dean)

MAJORS: Art, English, History, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, Theatre

MINORS:  American Studies, Art, Creative Writing & Thought, English, History, Interfaith Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, Theatre

Social Sciences (Joel Rossmaier, Dean)

MAJORS: Accounting, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Elementary Education, Environmental Studies, Physical Education K-12, Political Science, Sociology

MINORS: Accounting, Athletic Coaching, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, Film Studies, Management, Marketing, Media Production, Military Science, Physical Education, Political Science, Sociology, Strategic Communication

Natural Sciences & Mathematics (Dr. Sean Coleman, Dean)

MAJORS:  Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Health Science, Mathematics, Psychology

MINORS: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Health Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Sustainable Agriculture

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Denise Duarte is on a mission to help as many entrepreneurs in her home country of Nicaragua as she possibly can.

After graduating from ����vlog���� in 2008 with a perfect 4.0 GPA and with a triple major in accounting, marketing, and management, Duarte returned to Nicaragua to work as a financial auditor for a major company, while earning an MBA. But Duarte knew she wanted to use her skills and knowledge to uplift women in her country, so she began looking for a position that would allow her to do just that.

Partnering passion and purpose

That’s when she found the non-profit agency Agora Partnerships in Nicaragua, an organization whose mission is to strengthen entrepreneurs’ business models and prepare them to access the impact investment market through custom business services, world-class consultants, and global network access. She started as a consultant and quickly worked her way up to development manager and then to country director for all of Nicaragua.

The former U of O Walton Scholar works primarily to empower women entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive.

“I feel like I’ve found where I’m supposed to be,” said Duarte. “We provide resources ranging from human capital and financing to networking for entrepreneurs who are committed to solving the most pressing social and environmental problems in Latin America. This position became the perfect way to put into practice what I had learned in business school while making an impact in my country.”

Her role with Agora includes leading a team of consultants in helping prospective business owners secure the financing to follow their dreams. She finds its particularly fulfilling to work with women entrepreneurs on such things as soft skills.

“We work with women in areas like communications and negotiation, which are traditionally not taught in countries such as Nicaragua,” she said. “These are types of skills that can empower women and make a difference on whether their business succeeds or fails.”

Duarte, who is married and has a 2-year-old son, is excited about making a difference in her country.

“I remember hearing numerous times that one of the purposes of becoming a Walton Scholar was understanding the importance of free enterprise and being able to apply what I learn in my country,” she said. “I actually earn a living doing just that. I work helping entrepreneurs, not only in Nicaragua but across Latin America, get investments and resources to grow their business and expand their impact. And, I don’t support just any type of business; I work with those that have at its core the mission of creating better and more inclusive communities.”

Rebuilding process

Duarte said the recent political turmoil in Nicaragua makes work like hers even more important.

“Especially now, I feel even more committed to supporting entrepreneurs since it will be them that will allow us to be reborn,” she said. “It is a challenging time and we are definitely having to reinvent ourselves, but we have done it in the past and I am convinced that we will do it in the future and that I will be able to contribute to that rebuilding process.”

Ozarks impact

Being a Walton Scholar at U of O made her a more “well-rounded and sensitive” person, Duarte said.

“I was definitely challenged to exceed academically, but more so to be a better person not only to those that I had to engage with on a daily basis but also to those who I hadn’t met and sooner or later would be impacted by my actions,” she said. “I still remember one of my professor’s words in one of his classes. He emphasized that we were not citizens of X or Y country, but that we are all citizens of the world. My experience at Ozarks shaped me at the personal and professional level and above all instilled in me values that I have been able to apply in all aspects of my life, including those of perseverance, hard work, teamwork, honesty, and fairness.”

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